Soy products such as soy milk and tofu are high in protein and have become popular for their reported health benefits. So, why the concern?It turns out that soy products also contain chemicals called phytoestrogens. These phytoestrogens are chemicals found in plants that look and act like estrogens, the "female" sex hormones that both women and men produce naturally. It is commonly believed (but not universally accepted) that these phytoestrogens may have health benefits such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and taming the symptoms of menopause. One of the main concerns over the use of these "dietary supplements" is that if they act like estrogens, they may very well carry the the same risks as taking estrogen pills like Premarin and Estrace.

So, how does this tie in with fertility issues? One of the key ingredients in birth control pills is a type of estrogen (commonly ethinyl estradiol) so it should come as no surprise there may that taking soy products could potentially be a problem for women attempting pregnancy.

With that in mind, researchers at Harvard's School of Public Health, looked at women undergoing IVF treatment to see if the use of soy products had any effect on the pregnancy rates. The results were somewhat surprising. IVF patients taking soy supplements were actually more likely to get pregnant. While the study was small and limited, and it is certainly to early to encourage women doing IVF to take in more soy products, it does appear to be reassuring for those trying to get pregnant and don't want to stop the soy milk and tofu.